It’s common knowledge that more and more people are using mobile devices, including phones and tablets, to search online. They’re convenient, easy, and often faster than traditional desktops and laptops.

Google has taken note of this change and has recently announced that they will be changing their algorithms to reflect the growth of mobile searches. What exactly does this mean for us?

According to Google, “Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”

In other words, whether or not your website is mobile-friendly could signficantly impact your search result presence, especially on mobile devices. Mobile traffic, including phones and tablets, accounts for about 40% of overall traffic for many websites, and this number is only growing.

What Should You Do?To find out whether or not Google considers your site to be mobile friendly, run your site through a quick test here.

If your site is not mobile friendly and you’ve been thinking of updating your website, now is a great time! We are more than happy to help you.

If you aren’t quite ready to update your website yet and you’re not mobile friendly, there are some cost-effective solutions that we would be happy to help you with that don’t require a new website.

We’re more than happy to help with any questions or concerns you have. Email us anytime at support@alltrips.com.

Its not the first time you’ve heard that online reviews are a great tool for travel businesses. Getting reviews is great, and it is fun to watch your reviews grow when you are first listed on TripAdvisor, Google+ or Yelp. But then what? Don’t just watch the reviews roll in. Take action.

Whether the review is good or bad, responding to reviews is something you should make a habit of. Sometimes responding to every review may be unrealistic depending on how frequently you get them. We recommend that you respond to positive reviews as often as you can, especially if they took the time to be specific. And always respond to every negative review no matter what.

Tips for Responding to Positive Online Reviews

Simply thank your guest. No need to offer anything extra, ask them to join a mailing list, or make a sales pitch.

Personalize each reply. Don’t use a stock response each time! If you remember the guest, try to include specific details about the guest’s time with you.

Use details Expand on a topic when a reviewer writes to reinforce your company’s features, especially if they compliment a new product, service or feature. For example, if they compliment your breakfast selection, this could be an opportunity to share that you have worked to bring in new recipes, and you are glad people are enjoying them.

Tips for Responding to Negative Online Reviews:

Thank your guest for the feedback! This guest took his or her time to review you and spread the word about your business, for better or for worse. Always thank reviewers for their time, no matter the review.

Don’t take it personally. Negative reviews can feel hurtful sometimes, but don’t let this dictate your response. Remember that the reviewer is human, and may have had other circumstances surrounding the negative review.

Be professional. And remember that anyone can read this response – not just the reviewer.

Be prompt. Respond to the review as quickly as you can to show that you take customer service seriously.

Respond to specific issues. Was an amenity missing? Someone was running late? Customer service wasn’t quite on par? Address the issue directly and explain how you plan to fix it.

Highlight any positives. Some negative issues may be an opportunity to share a planned update. For example, if someone didn’t enjoy a hotel stay because of the old towels, and you are planning to order all new towels in a month. This is the perfect opportunity to share this information with anyone reading your page.

Keep it simple. Don’t launch into a 2 paragraph response, as this may come off as overly defensive or even condescending. A response can be just a couple of sentences.

Responding to reviews is a great way to show customers that you truly care what they think. It can also be a chance to “redeem” yourself from a negative review.

If you have any questions on how to review on specific sites, just let us know!

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We’ve mentioned it before, having consistent NAP data across a variety of listings is very important. But we put a high importance on Google Local listings, also known as Google+ Business Pages, Google Maps listings, or Google Places.

Why Is Having a Google+ Listing Important?

Search Engine Visibility and Results. This is a no brainer. Google is by far the most popular search engine in not only the United States, but the world. Google will reward you for using it’s products. These listings are free, they look nice, and they have a high potential to boost your organic search traffic. This is reason enough!

Would you rather go to this Wizarding World of Harry Potter?

Or this one?

As you can tell, the second one has a Google+ Local listing. This greatly enhances their search engine results. They have a starred rating from their reviews, they have a link to their Google+ page where they’ve likely posted cool photos and links to their website or blog, and they have the address and phone number clearly on display. This especially comes in handy for their visitors on mobile devices! The first result is what it would look like without a Google+ Local listing. No pretty stars, no links, no address or phone number. This brings us to the next reasons having a Google+ Local listing is important:

Google+ Local is a great place to have reviews. TripAdvisor and Yelp are great, too, but as you can see above, your Google+ reviews show up right on your home page search result. Anyone with a Gmail account can write a Google+ review – no extra signup required.

Your customers can find you easily. Having the correct information displayed in your Google+ Local listing means a customer can call you right away or find you on Google Maps. This is especially helpful for the ever-growing number of mobile users.

Last, but not least: The Carousel. You’ve heard us mention the Google carousel in previous posts. While it’s not exactly predictable, it does show up frequently, especially for lodging related searches. You will not show up in the Google carousel if you do not have a Google+ page, and having lots of reviews and photos helps boost your placement on the carousel. If you try searching for “lodging + [name of city, state]” you will most likely see a carousel. The carousel has changed organic search, and getting your business into the carousel is a priority if the carousel shows up for your search terms.

If you don’t have a Google+ page, we hope you are inspired to get one, and we are happy to help! If you have one, remember to post on it. Google indexes the links you post to your Google+ page immediately, which is a huge benefit to any blogger or website owner.

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